Feel
by rhapsodybree
Summary: He didn't want to think or feel at the moment. He just wanted to feel her. She let him... and now we delve into the aftermath. WARNING: Mature Content
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

**WARNING: **Mature Content.

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Flesh slapped against flesh as both roughly pushed against each other, intent on shedding the pain and stress of the day. A bed or even a lounge was the furthest thought in their minds as he slammed the door shut and pressed her against the wall nearby, the length of his body holding her in place.

His hands weren't gentle as they ran down her side.

Her blouse was long gone as was his shirt – both ripped off the minute they had stepped into her apartment – though somehow he had managed to retain his vest. Both were breathing heavily as his hands found the zipper of her pants. He bit the side of her neck and she hissed in response, running her nails over his back.

He didn't care about the pain.

Her pants slithered to the floor of their own volition and he reached down to grasp her upper thighs as he guided her legs to wrap around his waist. She was still wearing her no-nonsense work shoes and the matching underwear.

Not for much longer.

Bringing his head down, he captured a nipple in his mouth through the material of her bra, biting down harshly as she threw her head back against the wall and buried her hands in his hair. She pulled tightly on his strands when he switched breasts.

His arousal was straining against his pants when he lifted his head and ran his hand around her back to unclasp her bra. Somewhere at the back of his mind applauded him for still retaining the skill as he discarded the garment, but he was swiftly drawn back to the present when the dexterous fingers of the woman he still held had somehow managed to slip between them and unzip his pants.

He couldn't stop the involuntary jerking of his hips when her small hand found its target.

Taking control once again he swooped down and kissed her, their tongues duelling in the warm depths as neither were willing to concede defeat. He shifted to rid himself of his pants and the obstruction they posed as his hands drifted south and ripped off her panties in one go. He wasted no time and thrust up into her, every inch of him gripped in her warm, wet tunnel.

The resounding groan that followed as her nails dug into his back once again was deeply gratifying.

There was no time for romance or sweet love and neither was in the mood for it. He grasped her hips firmly and tilted them slightly toward him for a different angle that was immensely pleasing to them both as he buried his face into the crook of her neck.

No words were spoken as he frantically upped the pace and his thrusts grew erratic. Determined that she would have her release before him, one hand slid to where their bodies came together and rubbed against the bundle of nerves there. She tightened around him as her breath hitched, her nails dug in and her hips jerked. She was verbal in encouraging him on.

It was almost the end of him.

Gripping her buttocks, he pushed his body fully against her – his naked sweaty chest sliding against hers – as they both neared their peak. And then suddenly they were there. She screamed her release as he thrust hard and deep and shattered.

There was silence as they both slowly came back to reality; the only sounds that could be heard were the equally heavy breaths of the two people leaning tightly against the wall.

He raised his head from her shoulder and brought his face up to hers as he slid from within her. She slid down his form ever so slowly, still intent on staying in contact with him. No words were spoken as he brushed the matted hair from her forehead and looked into her glittering eyes. He held the gaze as he bracketed her cheek and leaned down to kiss her, pouring all his emotions into it: the hunger, the hurt, the pain, the stress, the comfort and a host of other emotions that he was not willing to face at this moment.

She didn't object.

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_Next Chapter: _The morning after.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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When Teresa Lisbon woke up early the following morning, it was to a foreign experience.

A pair of strong arms had wrapped themselves around her naked form, one hand resting on her stomach and the other tucked under her body. The naked form of her bedmate was pressed tightly against her back and a head was burrowed into the crook of her neck.

Allowing herself to snuggle into the embrace for a moment, her eyes then flew open in remembrance. _She'd slept with Jane!_ Flying up into a seated position, she looked down at the sleeping form of the golden haired man next to her and realised that in her movements, one of his hands had fallen to her upper thigh.

She grabbed her sheet and pulled it up her body as Jane began to show the first signs of wakefulness. The hand was removed from her leg as he raised it and ran it over his face and through his unruly curls before his eyes fell to her.

'Hey,' he said softly.

She found herself unable to respond, but didn't object when Patrick pulled at the sheet covering her and pulled her closer to him. She also didn't protest when he pulled her on top of him, wrapping one arm around her waist and placing the other on the nape of her neck. But she did stop him when he made the move to kiss her.

'Jane...' she said in a warning tone as the hand on her neck moved to her face as he brushed her hair away. 'Good morning,' he said.

'Good morning,' she responded shyly. 'We need to talk...' She got no further as he flipped her and leant down to cover her body with his. 'And what a good morning it is,' he smirked as his face came ever closer to hers.

There was only a hairsbreadth between them.

'We're going to regret this,' she whispered against his lips as his eyes bore into hers. 'Are we?' he said softly as he crashed his lips to hers.

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When Teresa Lisbon woke up once again a couple of hours later she was surprised to find herself smiling_. When was the last time she woke up with a smile plastered on her face? _Yesterday had been a hard day – for them all – and she wasn't ashamed to admit that their activities the night before had been exactly what she needed.

The temporary feeling of joyfulness faded as she realised that she was alone in the bed and that there was a muffled noise somewhere nearby that sounded suspiciously like her mobile phone. Now feeling seriously out of sorts, she rolled out of the bed as she stumbled over to where the ringing seemed to be coming from, looking around and raising various things before she discovered her phone under Jane's vest. Looking at the display she realised that she had several missed calls. 'Shoot,' she whispered to herself as she pressed the call button and raised the phone to her ear with a brisk 'Lisbon'.

'Boss?' was the flurried voice on the other end as van Pelt came onto the line and Patrick Jane chose that exact moment to step out of her ensuite wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, the occasional drop of water falling from his damp hair and onto his chest. Her mouth went dry for a moment.

She said nothing as she forced herself to turn away and responded to the worried van Pelt. 'I'm here.'

'Boss where are you? We've got a case and Minelli wants to know where you were yesterday,' said the agent quickly. 'What do I tell him?'

'Let me worry about it,' she said as she eyes the retreating back of Jane. She quickly throws on clothes with no thought as to what she is putting on as van Pelt updates her on their newest case.

'I'll meet you there,' she said, ready to hang up the phone but was stopped by van Pelt's tentative last question. 'Ah boss,' van Pelt said nervously. 'What about Jane?'

_Ah..._

'Jane?' The phone was snatched out of her hand before she even had a chance to think about a further response. Turning to the fully dressed man now standing in front of her with her phone to his ear she swore inwardly when he began to speak to van Pelt. 'We got a case?'

'Give me the phone,' she hissed as she made a grab for it, but Jane was too quick and evaded her as he continued his conversation. 'Uh huh. Uh huh. Uh huh,' he said before he hung up the call. 'We've got a case,' he said brightly handing her the phone with one of those smiles that bugged her to no end.

_There was no way he was getting out of this easily_. 'We need to talk.'

'Not now we don't,' said Jane in a sing-song voice as he moved to the door. 'A case is calling.'

'Jane,' she said, not moving from her spot.

'Now where are the keys?' he pottered on.

'Patrick...' She could see the tension radiating from his body as he froze in his spot facing away from her. 'Not now,' he said softly. 'Please.'

She sighed in defeat. 'Are you sure?'

She didn't receive an answer as Jane found her car keys and proceeded to usher her out the door. She couldn't fight the strange sensations running through her as she locked up her place and refused to give him the keys as they got into her car. _This just wasn't right. How could he be like this? He'd just faced another obstacle with Red John and yet here he was acting like nothing was out of the ordinary. And _she_ was the bundle of nerves as they drove to the crime scene and he joked as usual. _

Her mood didn't improve when they arrived and she stomped over to her team, Jane going off to God knows where in another direction. 'What have we got?'

Checking her gun and badge are where they should be she startled when Rigsby suddenly stepped up next to her. 'Do you really think it's a good idea for him to be here boss?' he asked, nodding his head in Jane's direction.

'You want to try and tell him otherwise?' she shot back at him. Rigsby opened his mouth and then shut it swiftly. They both knew how that conversation would go.

'Ah boss,' said van Pelt as she came over, head looking at her notebook in front of her as she began to speak. 'Crime Scene's inside with the body of Glynis Lombard and I've got Hugh Lombard – the husband – and the three kids off to the side over there. Detective Cas...' Van Pelt's voice trails off and Lisbon wondered why her junior agent was looking at her strangely. 'What?'

'Are you wearing the same shirt as yesterday?' blurted out the redhead, before she blushed in horror and covered her mouth as realised what she had just said. 'I'm so sorry...'

And but of course this was the moment that her entire team seemed to be standing there. And but of course, Jane had to open that big bloody mouth of his. 'No, no that is an interesting observation. Please do explain.'

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_Next Chapter: _Surely the day couldn't get any worse?


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my own creations.

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Ignoring the question and physically turning herself away from Patrick Jane, Teresa Lisbon pulled her jacket over her chest as she asked the question once again. 'What have we got?'

Van Pelt opened her mouth to recommence her description of material facts, but she didn't get a word out as Jane stepped forward with a bored look on his face as he looked at the team one by one – noting Rigsby's questioning look, van Pelt's slightly annoyed look, Cho's blank look and Lisbon's exasperated look – before he turned and began to point at various people in turn.

'The father's having an affair...

'The daughter is hiding something – maybe a pregnancy – and is not sure how to tell her parents, though I really should say parent, seeing as there is only one left...

'The boy resents the fact that his younger brother gets more attention than he does...

'And the youngest kid is quite possible a budding serial killer,' concluded Jane as he turned back to the team. 'Worth keeping an eye on him for the coming years.'

'Are you done with the showing off yet?' scoffed Lisbon. _She could only hope_.

'The Sherriff resents the fact a woman is leading this CBI team...

'Van Pelt has somewhere else she needs to be... though I wouldn't worry too much Rigsby...

'Cho has forgotten something...

'And you... No... The person standing over near the Lombard family now is a reporter masquerading as a cop...

'And I'm hungry. I might just step out and grab a bite,' finished Jane with a smug grin plastered on his face. 'Excuse me.' The last two words were tacked on because at that moment Lisbon had grabbed his arm painfully and pulled him away – though it must be noted that it was after giving Rigsby the order to escort the reporter from the premises. She pulls him a short distance to the side before she flies around to face him. 'What in God's name are you doing?'

'I'm not doing anything in _God's _name,' Jane corrected her as he raised a finger in her direction, but swiftly pulled it back as he wouldn't put it beyond her to bite it.

'Jane,' she ground out. 'Today is really not the day. Stop it.'

He ignores her as he reaches out and touches the arm of a man in uniform walking by. 'Buy the car,' Jane suggests with a nod before he removed his hand. 'It will help.' As the man shot him a strange look and walked off, Lisbon raised a hand to her head as if in pain. 'You did not just say that.'

Jane looked at her for a moment. 'You're right. I didn't.'

She stared at him for a moment longer before he shifted unsteadily in her gaze. 'We are going to interview the Lombard family and you are going to be on your very best behaviour. Got it?'

'Got it!' he agreed with a smile. As Lisbon turned to walk up to the house he pulled his crossed fingers out from behind his back and parted them. 'I saw that Jane.'

'Damn,' called Jane as he scurried to her side, van Pelt and Cho joining them as they made their way over to the Lombard family.

As they got closer, a little boy ran forward with a butter-wouldn't-melt-in-my-mouth countenance as he opened up his big blue eyes and looked up at them. 'Hi my name's Henk. Are you the cops?'

'Yeah honey we are,' said van Pelt dropping down to his level. 'We need to speak with your Daddy.'

'Okay,' piped up the little boy as he grabbed van Pelt's arm and pulled her over to his siblings and father. 'Look Daddy! The cops are here.'

Rigsby stepped back as Lisbon stepped forward and apologised for their loss and Jane took stock of the family members before him: Hugh Lombard looked genuinely distressed, fifteen year old Hannah Lombard was definitely hiding something behind her defiant exterior, twelve year old Horatio Lombard was keeping everything buried down deep inside and Jane knew without a doubt that the eight year old 'I'm-so-innocent' Henk Lombard was anything but.

'Who found the body?' asked Lisbon.

'I did,' said Horatio shortly.

'Where was it?' encouraged Lisbon as the boy looked at her sullenly. 'In the kitchen.'

'What did you do?' pressed Lisbon.

'Flipped it.' God getting information from the kid was harder than getting answers out of Jane sometimes - and that said something. 'And then?'

'Checked if Mum was still breathing,' said the teenager folding his arms over his chest as he looked to the ground and scuffed the pavements with his shoe. 'She wasn't.'

Lisbon then moved onto the husband. 'When was the last time you saw your wife Mr Lombard?'

'Last night,' said the man, tears pooling in his eyes. 'Well, yesterday morning really, but I spoke to her on the phone last night. She was out late.'

'When did _you_ last see your mother Horatio?' posed Jane, flipping attention back to the boy as Lisbon sent him a quick look.

'Yesterday when Mum picked up Hannah from boarding school and brought her home,' Horatio responded bewilderedly. 'I went...'

'Home?' snorted Hannah making her presence known as she stepped forward. 'My _real_ home's in that boarding school. Not this stupid place with you stupid people.'

'Hannah...' warned Hugh as the girl crossed her arms over her chest.

'You said your wife was out late,' questioned Lisbon. 'What was she doing?'

'Working. She was working late,' responded Hugh as Hannah snorted next to him.

'If you call _that _working.' Shaking off the hand that her father placed on her shoulder, Hannah focussed her angry glare on them. 'She was probably out with that guy she 'works' with.'

'Guy?' repeated Lisbon as Hannah continued to talk. 'Yeah. Matt Burrie.'

'How would you know that?' asked Jane as he stepped into her line of sight. 'You've been at boarding school for the past two and a half months.'

'I know these things,' fudged the teenager, but he didn't miss the shift of her eyes to the side. 'I know what she's been up to.'

'Hannah...' sighed her father.

'What?' spat the teenager back. 'You knew she was sleeping with him.'

'Hannah. Your mother was not having an affair,' said Hugh as he grasped her shoulders and looked into his daughter's face. He wasn't there long as his face spun around swiftly at Jane's next words. 'But you were, weren't you Hugh?'

'Excuse me!' said Hugh in an offended tone as both Hannah and Lisbon reacted instantly. 'Daddy?' 'Jane!'

Thanking the Lombard family for their time, Lisbon ushers the team away, Jane just behind her before he turns back to the grieving family. 'Just one last question. Who is your favourite brother Hannah?'

The teenager looked at him in confusion. 'Umm...'

'What kind of a question is that?' asked Hugh Lombard angrily as he stepped in front of his daughter.

'Jane, let's go,' gritted the newly returned Lisbon.

'It's Henk right?' said Jane with a knowing grin. With Lisbon pulling on his arm, he smiled his farewell as Horatio glared at him and Henk raised his hand and cheerily waved at them. 'Bye!'

Lisbon orders Rigsby and van Pelt to visit Glynis Lombard's workplace, whilst Cho is sent to bring in Matt Burrie for a 'friendly' chat. As the three agents depart, Jane rubs his hands together and steps around Lisbon. 'Let's go see the neighbour shall we?'

'What neighbour?'

'The same one that's had her beady eye on us the whole time,' said Jane nodding his head to the house on the right. 'I reckon she knows something.'

'Do we have to?' whines Lisbon, but he is already gone. 'Come on Lisbon.'

As they walked down the driveway, Jane thrust his hands into his jacket pockets. 'There's something going on with Hannah Lombard.'

'Don't tell me you think she's pregnant still?' said Lisbon rolling her eyes as she opened the white gate and stepped into the garden full of roses.

'Hey, who knows what happens at those all catholic girls' boarding schools!' said Jane as he followed and the gate swung shut. 'Okay, maybe she's not pregnant, but the girl's hiding _something_.' He didn't get much further as Lisbon turned and stood in front of him. 'She's just lost her mother Jane,' she said seriously. 'She's hurting.'

'Hey hurting people can still tell lies,' protested Jane as he raised his hands into the air.

'Do you have a death wish?' asked Lisbon incredulously. 'You do realise that I carry a gun don't you?'

'I'm a rational man' – Lisbon snorts – 'and so I'll let that pass,' said Jane in an exaggerated forgiving tone.

'How magnanimous of you,' said Lisbon dryly as she turned away.

'Much,' responded Jane as he ever so briefly placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her up the path.

Mrs. Nadia Keoghan answered her front door promptly and was more than happy to speak with them. She held the door wide open and invited them in as she made a beeline for the kitchen. 'I have some scones just out of the oven and tea!'

Lisbon and Jane shared a look before her phone rang and she stepped to the side to answer it. She waved her hand at Jane for him to go into the kitchen and speak with the elderly lady as she spoke into the phone. 'Yes Cho?'

Seated on the overstuffed couch covered with crocheted cushions, Jane took a sip from his dainty tea set as his eyes sought out Lisbon's form talking in the corner. So intent was he at looking at her, that he missed what Mrs. Keoghan said. 'Sorry?' he said, switching on the charm as he placed the teacup back on its saucer and turned his full attention to the elderly woman. 'You were saying?'

'I was just saying that it must be such a relief for a woman like Agent Lisbon to have a man like you around,' she said solemnly, before she leaned in to whisper. 'Police work is such a dangerous business for a woman. She must be glad to have you around to protect her.'

Jane can't stop the laugh from escaping. Pulling himself under control, he responded with amusement. 'She's the one with the gun!' he said before he leaned in closer, much to the older lady's delight. 'And trust me, she wears the pants in this relationship.'

When Lisbon enters the lounge room just seconds later, she spots Jane and Mrs. Keoghan deep in conversation close together, a conversation that stops the instant she makes her presence known. Exchanging a wordless glance with Jane – to which she received a shrug in response – she took the seat next to him, declined the offer of tea and pulled out her notebook.

'Mrs Keoghan...'

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_Next Chapter:_ Why is it that whenever she needed the bloody man, he was never there. But when she really didn't need him, he was everywhere?


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my own creations.

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It was dark outside when Teresa Lisbon shrugged on her coat later that evening. She had just sent her team home as there was nothing that they could do until morning. Mark Burrie was out of the picture as a suspect as he had an iron-clad alibi – sitting in a jail cell on a DUI charge and driving without a licence. They were fresh out of suspects for the moment, and so they would start fresh in the morning.

There was nothing more that could be done for the case this evening, but she and Mr Patrick Jane had some unfinished business to sort out. Picking up her bag, she flicked off her office light as she entered the bullpen and headed for the couch.

She swore that he had been there only moments earlier, but as she looked down at the worn, faded brown leather, she frowned. Patrick Jane was not there.

Looking around the empty room, she could find no sign of the consultant. Heading out into the hallway, she startled when she heard her name being called. Turning, she found herself face with face with her boss. _Damnit. _

'Would you care to enlighten me as to why my Serious Crimes Unit team all of a sudden happened to be out of office at the same time yesterday?' said Minelli in an interested tone as he eyed his agent. 'And even better, why they were all the way out on the California/Nevada border?'

'I can explain,' said Lisbon.

'Please do.'

'Well...' she began, looking around for inspiration.

'Please tell me it had nothing to do with Red John,' begged Minelli, his arms dropping to his side.

'Nothing bad happened out there boss,' she promised as Minelli released a heavy sigh. 'Red John is hands off Lisbon. You know that.'

'I know,' said Lisbon nodding her head. 'I know, sir.'

'Well make sure that _he_ knows,' he ordered, pointing a finger at her. 'Where is he now anyway?'

'I don't know.' At least that part was the truth.

'Reel him in Lisbon,' declared Minelli as he passed her, walking down the hallway.

'I would if I could find the damn man and get him to talk about it for longer than two seconds,' muttered Lisbon under her breath as she walked in the opposite direction.

'Sorry?' called Minelli. 'Did you say something?'

'Nothing sir. Have a good night.'

Giving up on finding Jane after ten minutes of searching, she decided to head home for a much needed shower. She had to be pushing 48 hours since her last one as her, ah, activities this morning had put a spanner in her usual morning works.

Entering her house, she dropped her bag, keys and various pieces of clothing along the way as she made a beeline for her bathroom. She groaned as she stepped into the shower and the hot water washed over her body, massaging her sore muscles. There were some muscles that she didn't even realise she had that were aching in pain as the heat pounded down.

Thinking of the damn man, her mind flew back to the morning as her hands began to move of their own volition. They ran over her body in a manner not dissimilar to how Patrick's had not so long ago. She smiled a little smile. She could fault Patrick Jane on many things, but a bad lover he was not.

_Jane woke up to darkness drenched in sweat. Feeling the familiar leather of the couch below him, he looked about unseeingly. The face was still there. He felt a chill in his bones as it soundlessly uttered those words again and again. 'Forgive Me.' 'Forgive Me.' The inevitable nightmares had returned. He had managed a nightmare-free sleep – something he hadn't managed in a long time – last night and he wasn't stupid enough to not know the reason for it. He could say it was the sex, but he knew that it had more to do with the woman, rather than what they did last night. Alone on the cold couch in the cold HQ, Jane crossed his arms over his chest. Sleep was a long time coming. _

When Lisbon arrived at work the following morning, she entered the bullpen to find Jane sleeping on the couch. Releasing an exasperated sigh at finding him there, she contemplated how to deal with him as she entered her office, shrugging off her coat and dropping her bag. He was ploughing ahead as if nothing was wrong. As if they hadn't just had a showdown with someone from his dark past - a trusted person that had shattered part of his history.

Stepping into bullpen once again, she adjusted her shirt collar and swore as she saw that the couch was empty. It had only been a minute! Frowning, she turned to the newly arrived laughing Rigsby and van Pelt. 'Where did Jane go?'

'Jane?' questioned Rigsby in confusion as van Pelt looked around. 'I thought he was with you.'

'Now why would you assume that?' said Lisbon irritably as van Pelt fumbled over an answer. Cho's arrival seconds later saved her from digging a deeper hole. 'You seen Jane?'

The only response Cho offered was a grunt around his baguette as he gestured the team over to his desk. 'We've got a break.'

The break was the revelation that the murder weapon was a knife that was missing from the kitchen. With this discovery, it was looking less like a planned murder, and more of a crime of passion, which pointed to Glynis Lombard's killer being someone she knew. There was no sign of forced entry.

Lisbon ordered van Pelt and Rigsby to check up on Hugh Lombard's alibi and for Cho to follow up with Crime Scene as she automatically looked around for Jane. Growling when he was still nowhere to be found, she sent out a general warning to her team. 'When you see Jane, send him to me.'

Turning for her office, she found her path blocked by the blasted man himself as she was forced to bounce backward on her feet in order to avoid running clean into him. 'Good morning!' was the cheery voice of Patrick Jane as he handed her a takeaway cup of coffee. 'Where are we off to?'

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_Next Chapter:_ Jane begins to unravel.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my own creations.

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'Jane was right boss,' said van Pelt swivelling on her chair. 'Hugh Lombard was having an affair.' Picking up the paper in front of her she read out the name as Jane remained on his couch and Rigsby came over. 'It's a one Miss Cora Carmichael. 24 year old flight attendant.'

'Motel footage puts Mr Lombard at the motel the night of his wife's murder,' said Cho from his desk as Lisbon stood in the centre of the room. 'But the tapes show him leaving just after midnight.'

'Well, that is more than enough time for him to get home and kill his wife,' she speculated as Rigsby turned to her hopefully. 'Bring him in boss?'

'Bring him in.'

Van Pelt reached for her jacket, Rigsby for the keys, as Lisbon turns to her other agent. 'Cho – keep digging.'

'On it boss.'

The two agents on pick up duty had almost reached the doorway when the front desk officer stepped into the bullpen. 'I've got a Hugh Lombard at reception wanting to speak with Agent Lisbon.' Lisbon looked in confusion at van Pelt and Rigsby who had stopped abruptly at the announcement. _Who had asked him to come down?_

'Ah good, he's right on time,' declared Jane leaping up from his couch. _Well that answers that question._ She flashed him a look as he came forward gleefully rubbing his hands. 'Let's get the interview started shall we?'

Van Pelt and Rigsby are delegated to digging further as Cho takes the interview, Lisbon and Jane standing behind the glass window. Jane is fidgeting as Cho conducts the interview in his usual 'I understand why you did it, well who wouldn't' manner. 'Stop it,' mutters Lisbon when Jane uncrosses his arm for the nth time before crossing them again. 'He knows something he's not telling us.'

'His wife has just died and the fact that he is having an affair doesn't look too good for him,' said Lisbon derisively. 'So of course he's hiding something.' Crossing her own arms across over her chest, she pinned him with a look. 'Don't we all?'

Jane pointedly ignored her as he turned back to the glass screen. She looked at him for a moment longer. He looked his usual self – but she could detect the tension in the slight clenching of his jaw. When he turned to face her, she swiftly looked away and turned her attention to the interview going on before them, refusing to be caught staring.

'So Mr Lombard,' said Cho conversationally.

'Hugh please,' interrupted the well-dressed man.

'Hugh,' corrected Cho as he leaned on the table and laced his fingers together. 'Tell me about the affair.'

'What affair?' Hugh fudged, crossing his arms over his chest defensively.

'The one you were carrying on with Miss Cora Carmichael.'

Hugh Lombard leant forward. 'I don't know what you're talking about.'

'We have footage of you at the motel on the night your wife died.'

'I didn't kill my wife,' protested Lombard.

'Time stamps give you ample time to get home and kill your wife,' stated Cho.

'Alright, so I was at the motel,' admitted Hugh. 'But when I got home, she hadn't gotten home yet. And before you ask, no there wasn't a body in the kitchen or anything like that yet.'

'So who was at home when you got home then?'

'Just the kids. They were asleep.'

'You sure about that?'

Lisbon sighed as she tapped her head against the glass. This case was going nowhere fast. She turned to Jane to say something as Mr Lombard continued to talk on the other side of the glass. 'I'm a good father Agent. I love my kids.'

The words died on her lips as she saw an empty spot and realised that Jane was no longer standing where he had been just seconds ago and she was now looking at the door swinging shut. Time seemed to slow down as she saw the door opening on the other side of the glass and Jane stormed into the interview room. This was not going to be good.

'You call yourself a good father?' yelled Jane at the shocked Lombard. 'You were having an affair.'

'Hey...' objected Lombard, rising in his seat as Cho cautioned the consultant. 'Jane...'

'Who was looking after the kids while you were off having fun? Hmm?' railed Jane as Lombard flustered under the interrogation. 'Maybe if you'd been home, your wife wouldn't have been killed. Did you think about that?'

'Jane, that's out of line,' warned Cho as Lombard stepped around the desk and Lisbon dashed from the observation room. This was going nowhere any good any time soon.

'You want to talk about being home?' taunted Hugh Lombard. 'You want to talk to me about being a good father? At least I didn't get my wife and child killed.'

Lisbon stepped into the interview room as Jane lost all reason and looked ready to punch the living daylights out of their suspect. Cho had reacted instantly at the comment and now had Jane's arms pulled behind him as Hugh Lombard stood cockily in front of them.

'Yeah, I know all about you,' he scoffed as Jane strained against Cho, eyeing Hugh with hatred. 'I don't know how you forgive yourself.'

_Oh shit. _

Lisbon stepped in front of Jane and planted his hands on his chest before he could do anything they would all regret. 'Get out Jane.' As his eyes came down to look at her, he wasn't focussing. She hit his chest as she gestured to Cho to get him out. Jane snapped back to the present as he was pushed from the interview room and Lisbon pulled him to the side furious. Cho re-entered the room to continue the interview after checking that Lisbon was okay to handle it.

She took a breath to calm herself and faced the furious consultant who was now storming away from her. 'Jane, get back here.'

The only response she received was a hand brushing her away over his shoulder as Lisbon forcefully grabbed his lower arm and pulled him to face her. She's ready to rip him one when a new voice sounds. 'Agent Lisbon? Can I have a word with you? In private?'

It was Hannah Lombard.

Squeezing Jane's arm painfully she let go as she looked him in the eye and warned him. 'Do not move.' Jane promptly walked off as she sighed and escorted the teenager to her office. 'What can I do for you Hannah?'

'They told me you've got my Dad in here,' said the teenager nervously, playing with the tassels on her skirt. 'Do you think he killed my mother?'

'We don't know sweetheart,' said Lisbon softly.

'But what about Mark Burrie?' questioned Hannah raising her distressed eyes to Lisbon's. 'He was having an affair with Mum.'

'He couldn't have killed your mother as he has an iron-clad alibi. And we don't know if your mother was actually having an affair with Matt Burrie yet either,' said Lisbon gently as tears began to run down Hannah's cheeks. 'What's going to happen to me?'

'What do you mean? Has someone threatened you?' asked Lisbon worriedly as the teenager looked at her startled. 'No, I mean what's going to happen to us three kids?' Hannah corrected with a sniffle. 'Dad works such long hours, and I don't know how I'm going to cope. Henk needs a mother – and I guess I'm going to become it aren't I?'

Lisbon's heart clenched as she clasped the hand of the girl in front of her. She felt for this kid. She knew what it was like to have life as you know it come crashing down around you. She came around the desk as Hannah burst into tears. 'Well, who did it then? Who killed my mother?'

'I don't know yet,' said Lisbon as she pulled the girl into a stiff hug. 'But I promise you I will find out.'

When Jane stepped into the office minutes later, she flashed him a furious look as he raised his hands in surrender. 'I come in peace.'

He ignored the daggers she was mentally sending him via her eyes as he turned to Hannah Lombard – now seated in her chair once again. 'Why were you sent to boarding school?'

'I wanted to go,' was the firm response. 'It was easier,' she added softly to herself as Jane nodded his head with a 'hmm' before he turned to Lisbon. 'Agent Lisbon, Mr Lombard has admitted to having an affair.'

Hannah's head flew up at this declaration and she looked at them in horror. 'No!'

'Jane!' Lisbon admonished as the teenager looked to her for confirmation. The girl had just lost her mother, and she didn't need any more awful truths. 'Please tell me that isn't true.'

'I really wish I could,' said Lisbon awkwardly as Hugh Lombard entered the office and cut the conversation short when he fixed a glare on Jane. 'Let's go sweetheart.'

Hannah pulled her thin jacket around her closer as she arose from the chair and approached her father. Lombard hadn't looked from Jane yet, and Lisbon feared that World War III was about to erupt in her small office. 'I should have you charged.'

'With what?' she defended Jane as she stepped between the men.

'He punched me.'

She continued to look at Mr Lombard as she raised her finger behind her to stop Jane from saying anything. For once the man listened to her. 'Almost Mr Lombard,' said Lisbon in a hard tone. 'Almost. Go home and be with your children Mr Lombard and allow us to do our job.'

There was no movement for a second before Hugh Lombard wrapped his arm around his daughter and turned for the door. Hannah shrugged off her father's arm and hissed 'don't touch me' as they walked down the hallway, Jane slipping out of her office at the same time.

Jane was missing yet again when it came to hometime that night, but Lisbon was actually thankful this time. She wasn't in the mood to talk. She couldn't shake the image of the distressed teenager that had sat in her office and wondered about the future. Poor Hannah.

She did spare a thought to Jane's behaviour though. She rarely saw him lose control, and yet he had lost it twice in the last three days.

Little did Lisbon know that it would all come to a head the following day.

******************

_Next Chapter: _Jane and Lisbon have a showdown.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my own creations.

******************

Hannah Lombard was back at the station the following morning, and Lisbon deviated from her journey to the kitchen as she approached the teenager in surprise. She hadn't expected to see her again after yesterday's events. 'Hannah? I didn't expect to see you here. Has something happened?'

The teen's face was blank, free of any emotion whatsoever, as she held out an envelope to Lisbon. 'I think this might help.'

'Ah thanks,' said Lisbon accepting the proffered object. 'What is it?'

'It's a letter from Mum. She sent it to me when I was at boarding school,' said Hannah as Lisbon opened the envelope. 'She mentions a woman named Ms Ravensthorpe – a woman she worked with – who was kind of stalking her.'

'Okay, thanks for that,' said Lisbon gently as she reached forward to touch the teen's shoulder but Hannah backed away as she looked her in the eye. 'Maybe she and Matt Burrie were working together and she killed my Mum? Maybe it had something to do with the affair they were having?'

She could almost hear the hopefulness in the teen's voice that she had somehow broken the case and her mother's killer could be caught. Well, at least she could put her mind to rest about something. 'Your mother wasn't having an affair Hannah.'

'She wasn't?' was the shocked response.

'No, she wasn't,' confirmed Lisbon.

'But...'

'Agent Lisbon?'

Lisbon turned her head at Cho's call, before nodding her head that she would be there momentarily. Turning back to Hannah, she saw that she was gone, the teenager's long brown hair just out of sight around the corner. 'Hannah...'

Frowning slightly, she entered the bullpen with the letter. They had a new suspect. 'Guys, what can you tell me about Ms Ravensthorpe?'

'Ravensthorpe?' questioned Rigsby as van Pelt flicked through her notes. 'Didn't she work with the victim?'

'Apparently so. Didn't you interview her when you went to the workplace?'

'She wasn't there,' piped up van Pelt. 'She called in sick that day.'

'What's it to us?' questioned Jane, sitting up on the couch.

'Hannah Lombard dropped off this letter just now,' said Lisbon as she opened the letter. 'Apparently our victim had a stalker.'

Jane didn't ask for permission as he plucked the letter from her hand. 'Who still handwrites letters these days?' asked Cho as Jane held the letter to the light. 'My mum does,' defended van Pelt as Jane uttered a certain 'ah huh!' 'This letter wasn't written by her mother guys.'

'How do you know?'

'Well, first of all, do you know of any 45 year old woman who writes like this?' Holding the letter up to the light once again, Jane continued with a flourish. 'And secondly, this letter has new information. The signature and those two lines here are new.'

'Are you saying these letters are forged?' asked Rigsby as Jane turned with a grin and pointed in his direction. 'No. I think that Hannah does actually write letters home and someone responds to them – but it isn't the mother. I'd place even odds that it's her brother.'

'Which one?' asked van Pelt as Rigsby ventured a guess. 'The emo one? Horatio?'

'Possibly. Possibly,' considered Jane as he squinted into the light once again. 'You think it could be Henk – your budding serial killer?' suggested Cho as Jane turned the letter from side to side looking for a good angle.

'I don't have time for this,' said Lisbon exasperatedly as she gave her orders to her team. 'Find this Ms Ravensthorpe.'

'Gotcha!' declared Jane as the team got to work. When no explanation was forthcoming, Lisbon sent him a look. 'Well? What?'

'The letter was originally signed with an 'H',' said Jane with all the pomp and ceremony of a grand announcement. 'Guess what? It's a boy!'

'You're a pain in the ass,' said Lisbon as she turned to her office.

'And what a fine ass it is!' declared Jane after her – _just_ out of her hearing. The heads of the three detectives flew around to look at him so fast that it was a great possibility that they might have gone flying off. 'What?' laughed Jane, continuing to hold the letter.

'You are one brave man,' said Rigsby shaking his head.

'I like to live on the edge,' said Jane cockily.

'I hope you've got a safety net, cos I get the feeling that you'll be falling off soon,' said Cho.

'Pfft,' scoffed Jane, waving the letter in the air as he left them and headed toward Lisbon's office.

She wasn't in the mood to see him and when he stepped in and started to warn her off Ms Ravensthorpe as a suspect, she had had enough. 'Don't you think it's all a little too convenient. We lose one suspect, only to be handed another?' said Jane. 'I mean come on, the letter was forged.'

'You're looking for things that aren't there,' said Lisbon looking up from her computer screen.

'And you're too blinkered and not letting yourself see,' retorted Jane. 'She's reeled you in hook, line and sinker.'

'That's rich coming from you,' fired Lisbon back at him. 'Who are you to talk to me about objectivity? Not after what happened two days ago.'

She watched as Jane's face went blank and he turned from her office without another word.

When she stepped into the bullpen forty minutes later, Rigsby was putting a call through to Ms Mae Ravensthorpe, Cho was looking at some paperwork and van Pelt was busy on the computer. Jane was lying on the couch, arms tightly crossed over his chest with his eyes shut as he refused to interact with anyone around him. It was a very quiet office until van Pelt looked up from her computer screen and caught her eye. 'Ah boss, you need to see this.'

'What?' she said as she made her way over.

'Jane asked me to look into what happened around the time that Hannah was sent off to boarding school...' trailed off van Pelt as she looked between the consultant on the couch and her superior.

'Well, what?' pushed Lisbon impatiently as Rigsby and Cho joined them, and a second later she sensed Jane come over too. Van Pelt took a deep breath as she turned back to the screen. 'Hannah Lombard was raped by a man two years ago.'

_Damnit. _'Why didn't this come up earlier?' asked Lisbon as van Pelt turned to her. 'The man she alleged raped her was Mr Keller Duckworth.'

'Oh no,' said Rigsby as van Pelt nodded her head with a wince. 'Being such a good friend of the police, the charges just happened to go away and it wasn't on the files. I had to do some serious digging to get this.'

'And so that was why Hannah was sent off to boarding school,' surmised Cho as Jane's voice finally entered the fray.

'It's all this bloody Daffy Duckworth's fault that any of this happened,' said Jane loudly, thrusting his hand out against the screen. 'Why didn't you find this out earlier Grace?' shot the furious consultant at the shocked seated agent. 'We could have prevented this whole crime if you'd all done your job in the first place.'

Rigsby steps in front of van Pelt in defence as Cho places a hand on Jane's arm in an attempt to calm him down. Lisbon's response was much more to the point. 'Jane get into my office.'

He ignores her.

'Office. Now.' The tone was hard and each short word was dripping in ice in a voice that left no room for discussion. Jane stormed into her office and when she shut the door behind them he spun on his heel, ready for confrontation. She turned from the door and met his furious look with one of her own.

'What is going on?' she seethed. 'You had no right to abuse van Pelt that way. She was just doing her job.'

'She made a mistake...' started Jane angrily.

'_She _didn't make a mistake,' interrupted Lisbon. 'The police made a mistake two years ago when they let Keller Duckworth get off.'

'It's mistakes like these that mean that Red John gets away every time,' shouted Jane as he turned away from her.

'Red John,' scoffed Lisbon. 'Is that all you can think about?'

There was no response from the man with her back to him as he faced her wall.

'There's more to life than Red John Jane, and this obsession is doing you no good,' Lisbon continued, gathering momentum with each word. 'The revenge. The vengeance. The chase. When is it going to end?'

'It will end when it ends,' said Jane in a hard tone. 'Justice. And nothing is going to stop me.'

'If you're going to act like this, I can't have you here,' said Lisbon in a tone of finality as Jane turned back to her once again.

'What are you going to do Teresa?' said Jane bitterly as he made his way toward her. 'Fire me?'

'Are you trying to push me away?' shouted Lisbon as she looked up at him, their faces now mere centimetres apart. 'Because you're doing a mighty fine job of it.'

Whatever might have happened next was interrupted when Cho knocked on her office door and opened it a crack. Both heads went flying around at the same moment. 'What?!' It must have certainly been something, as the usually unflappable Cho took an involuntary step back. 'Ms Ravensthorpe is here.'

Lisbon nodded her head in understanding as Cho left, shutting the door once again, and she turned to Jane. 'We'll get another chance. Okay?' she promised as he let out a heavy sigh. 'We will catch Red John, but you've got to stop putting walls up. You've got to let us in. You've got to let me in,' said Lisbon softly as she took a step back. 'Go home Jane.'

She turned to her office door and prepared to exit, but was stopped when Jane grabbed her elbow. Perhaps part of her expected an apology of sorts, but as she turned she saw that he seemed to be in a far off place. 'Home?'

'Yes Jane. Home,' she said. Receiving no response she searched his face. 'Jane?'

'I know how she did it,' he said slowly as his eyes focused on her once again. 'I know who killed Glynis Lombard.'

'Who?' asked Lisbon in confusion.

'Her daughter.'

'Hannah?' responded Lisbon incredulously. 'You think that Hannah killed her mother? What?! Jane, you've been after that girl since the first moment you saw her and...'

'Think about it,' interrupted Jane, now on a roll, neither realising that he still held her elbow. 'Who told us about Burrie? Who told us about Ravensthorpe?'

'So?' shrugged Lisbon. 'What possible reason could she have for killing her mother?'

'She thought her mother was having an affair.'

'But she wasn't,' said Lisbon in confusion. 'Her father was.'

'We know that now, don't we? But she obviously thought otherwise,' said Jane as Lisbon remained unconvinced. 'She killed the wrong parent Lisbon.'

She doesn't want to think that this could possibly be true, and when Rigsby gives an almighty yell, she puts thinking on hold for a moment as they both dash from her office and into the bullpen where Rigsby is frantically waving them over to where van Pelt is talking into the phone. 'Boss. Horatio Lombard's on the phone. Apparently Hannah is threatening to kill her father.'

******************

_Next Chapter: _The race is on.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my own creations.

******************

Lisbon raced over to van Pelt's desk as the agent held out her phone for her boss without a word. 'Horatio?'

'Ma'am?'

'Put your sister on the phone.'

'Are you sure that's a good idea?' said the scared kid. 'She's got a gun.'

_Oh shit. _

'Hannah has a gun?'

'Horatio?'

'Horatio?' she repeated when she heard no response.

They all wait, each fearing the silence, before they hear noises that sound like a scuffle and a far off voice can be heard ordering for Horatio to hang up the phone. A dial tone sounds. They all looked at each other wordlessly before they snapped into action.

'I'll drive.'

As Lisbon entered the Lombard home phone number into her mobile, she didn't object as she threw Jane the car keys and they dashed out of the carpark. 'Get Cho, notify the police and follow us as soon as you can,' she shouted behind her as the phone began to ring.

As Jane started the car and they left the carpark at a breakneck speed, Lisbon muttered under her breath. 'Come on. Come on. Pick up the phone Hannah. Pick up the phone.'

'She's not answering,' Lisbon said frantically as she turned to Jane. 'Just keep trying,' he responded tensely as he swerved and overtook the car in front of them. She braced herself on the door and was about to criticise his driving abilities when the phone was picked up.

'Hannah. Is that you?'

'No, it's Henk,' said the high voice of the eight year old.

'Henk?' confirmed Lisbon. 'Where is your sister?'

'She's in the lounge room with Dad. Dad's sitting on the chair and he isn't moving.'

The blood froze in her veins. 'Why isn't your Dad moving Henk?'

'Cos Hanny told him that he couldn't.'

_Oh thank god. _'Where's your brother Henk?'

'Horatio can't come to the phone right now,' said Henk in such a tone that Lisbon feared he was about to hang up. 'Henk. I need you to do me a favour. I need you to put your sister onto the phone.'

Silence.

'Henk?'

She exchanged a look with Jane as she repeated the little boy's name. 'Are you there?'

'Agent Lisbon?'

'Hannah!' she exclaimed, before she quickly checked her voice. She needed to keep as calm as she could. 'What's going on Hannah?'

'It wasn't supposed to happen like this,' babbled the teenager. 'Dad wasn't supposed to be having the affair. He knows better, he knows better than that.'

Lisbon took a deep breath. This could be a minefield. 'Where's your father now Hannah?'

'He's here.'

'You don't plan on hurting him do you Hannah?'

'This wasn't supposed to happen,' repeated the teenager, avoiding the question.

'I'm almost at your house Hannah. What do you say that you and I have a talk when I arrive? We don't want anyone to get hurt do we?'

The only response she received was a sniffle, but it was better than nothing. 'Think of your brothers Hannah. What will happen to them if you go away?'

'I'm going away anyway.'

'Why would you say that Hannah? Why do you have to go away?'

There was a moment of silence before Hannah burst into tears and shouted. 'I killed my mother! Oh God, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Mum. I was wrong.'

She had no time to process how she felt about the the girl's confession and plowed on ahead. 'I know you don't mean to to kill your mother. But maybe if you talk to me about it, I can help you. Let me help you Hannah.'

'You can't help me. Nobody can – not now, not then, not ever.'

'Hannah – tell me what happened.' They were getting closer. 'What happened that night Hannah?'

'I don't want to talk about it. I've got to go now.'

'Go where Hannah? You've got to go where?'

'It's all his fault.'

'Hannah, are you going to shoot your father?'

'I should have done it right the first time round.'

'Hannah – listen to me. I know you want to make your father suffer, but is killing him really the way to go about it?'

'He knew better than that. Why did he have to have an affair?'

'I don't know why he did that Hannah, but I need you to do something for me. I need you to put the gun down and leave the house. I'm almost to your house Hannah. Can you do that for me?'

Silence.

'Hannah?'

'I've got to get out of here.'

'Hannah? Hannah!'

The phone was still on, but Hannah's voice could no longer be heard as other noises took their place. Looking at Jane, she saw him gripping the steering wheel fiercely as they rounded the corner and entered the Lombard's street. She struggles to distinguish between the noises on the phone, before she hears one noise that cannot be mistaken.

An engine started.

'Hannah? Are you in a car?' she said quickly into the phone. 'Hannah?' The rumble of the engine was all she could hear before Hannah's voice came over the line for the last time. 'I can't live this life,' were her last words before she hung up the phone. As Jane flew up onto the kerb, she was out of her seat before he had even stopped the car, Cho, van Pelt and Rigsby pulling up right alongside them. Jane throws the car into park as he leaps out of the car and races behind Lisbon as the sirens of police cars can be heard getting closer.

The five of them rushed forward and watched the scene unfold before them in horror.

Hannah Lombard's Mini flew down the driveway at a breakneck speed as she neared the end of her driveway. She did not look at the road and nor did she look at any incoming traffic.

Lisbon tries to rush forward and stop this meaningless accident that she knows without a doubt is going to happen, but she finds herself trapped when Jane grabs her, wrapping her arms around her from behind and pulls her back against him, preventing her from moving. As she claws at his arms, she can hear a scream of 'No...' rent the air and it takes her a moment to realise that it was her voice.

It was all happening in slow motion.

The big SUV was travelling along the main road at the designated road speed, but that was more than enough. The small Mini that flew out of the driveway and onto the road was suddenly right in front of the SUV's bumper and the crash was instant in all its horrific glory.

Hannah Lombard didn't stand a chance.

Jane could restrain her no longer. As van Pelt and Rigsby moved to deal with the SUV, Cho called for an ambulance and the newly arrived uniforms took on the responsibility of crowd control, Lisbon rushed forward to the mangled wreck of the car, Jane not far behind.

She tries to open Hannah's car door, but it wouldn't budge. Jane grasps her arms and pulled her back and tried to open the door himself, but to no avail. The door was jammed. Lisbon knelt down to be on the same level as Hannah as she reached for her hand and whispered comforting words to the teen.

He could hear the faint siren of the ambulance in the distance as Lisbon continued to hold Hannah's hand. The ambulance officers were there in an instant as he bent down to help Lisbon up and out of the way. But as he leant down, Hannah uttered her last words. 'Forgive me.'

Jane moved back as if shot. That was the second time that he had heard those words this week. Standing up and stepping back, he ran his fingers through his hair as he looked at the scene before him as time seemed to slow down once again. Lisbon was still crouched down, van Pelt was consoling the SUV driver, Cho was preparing to enter the Lombard house and Rigsby wasn't far behind him, waving frantically to someone off to his left.

There was no taking back the carnage before them.

******************

_Next Chapter:_ Why?


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my own creations.

******************

Standing in the observation room, her head rested against the glass as she looked into the interview room where Cho and Jane were interviewing Hugh Lombard. Rigsby and van Pelt were in the bullpen with the other two Lombard children and Henk had plastered himself to van Pelt and was refusing to let her go.

She may have been physically there, but as she struggled to focus her eyes on the sight before her, her mind felt like she was a mile away and looking in from outside of her body.

'You knew that your daughter had killed your mother,' pressed Cho. 'Why did you cover it up?'

'She was my daughter,' sobbed Hugh Lombard. 'My wife was gone, and I couldn't let anything happen to my baby girl. She's my daughter!'

'What happened that night?' said Jane. 'You came home and discovered your daughter standing in the kitchen with a bloody knife and your wife on the floor dead. Am I right?'

'I don't want to talk about it.'

'Your daughter is gone Mr Lombard,' said Cho. 'Tell us what happened.'

There was a silent moment before the floodgates opened. 'When I got home that night I knew that something was wrong. The lights were on in the kitchen – and it was far too late for anyone to be up. I walked over there and there she was. Hannah was holding the bloody knife ... and ... and Glyn was just dead. I raced over and tried to do find a pulse, but there was nothing. Hannah was just standing there with this blank look on her face.'

Hugh Lombard's gaze glazed over as he continued. 'I stood up and took the knife off her. She was shaking, but when I touched her she jerked back. She's always hated being touched since then. I asked her what was going on and she said that it had to be done. She hadn't believed Glyn's explanation about why she was home late. She thought she was lying. Which she was,' corrected Hugh. 'But only because she was planning a surprise party for Hannah's birthday this weekend. She wasn't having an affair.'

'But you were,' interjected Jane. 'And you knew that if your daughter found out, then she'd be furious. That's why you helped cover up the crime.'

Hugh nodded miserably. 'I made Hannah go take a shower and go to bed. I made the kitchen look like someone else had come in and then disposed of all our clothes. And then I just went to bed. It felt like such a bad dream, but I knew that I had to protect Hannah.'

'You knew that your wife had been killed,' said Jane incredulously. 'And yet you let your son find her in the morning?!'

'I wasn't thinking straight at the time,' confessed Hugh. 'I was so worried about Hannah. I'm so sorry that Horatio had to find his mother like he did.'

'You didn't think,' scoffed Jane as Cho took over once again. 'I can see that you wanted to protect your daughter. Is that why you kept throwing names at us? You doctored the letter to make Mrs Ravensthorpe a suspect didn't you? After Matt Burrie fell through.'

'Yes.'

'But it all fell apart when Hannah discovered that you were having an affair didn't it?' continued Cho. 'Why is that?'

The man before them leaned forward and clasped his hands as he hung his head. Taking a deep breath, he avoided the eyes of his interviewers as he looked off into the distance. On the other side of the glass, Lisbon felt he was talking right to her. 'Hannah was raped by her best friend's father when she was just thirteen years old. She'd caught him in bed with one of the other ladies who lived on our street. They were having an affair.'

'Why didn't you press charges?' asked Jane exasperatedly.

'We couldn't,' responded Hugh in a defeated tone. 'We just couldn't.'

'So after that you sent her off to boarding school?' said Cho. 'Problem solved?'

'No! She asked to go,' shouted Hugh. 'She was doing real good. But she wasn't the same.' He sniffled and brushed his tears away from his face as he continued. 'She just couldn't be with us anymore.'

'What happened this afternoon?' questioned Cho.

'Hannah found out that I was having an affair. It's your fault,' said Hugh as if he had just come to a realisation. 'It's your fault she's dead. You told her was I was having an affair.' By now he was standing up and shouting furiously as he pointed at the mirrored window that Lisbon was standing behind. 'It's your fault.'

'Sit down sir,' said Cho in a hard tone. 'Now.' The man moved to sit once again as Jane shifted to the left and stood between the observation window and the table. 'I will ask you again. What happened this afternoon?'

'I have a gun in the house for safety purposes, and when I got home from a quick trip to the store, Hannah met me at the door and threatened to kill me. I tried to reason with her, but she wouldn't listen to me. Then the agent called and she looked like she might be wavering,' said Hugh in a shaky voice. 'I told her I was sorry. And then I just told her to go. I told her to run...'

'And then she killed herself,' stated Cho.

'No,' shouted Hugh. 'She didn't plan to kill herself. She just wanted to get away from this all. I told her to take the Mini and go. She wasn't supposed to die. She wasn't supposed to die.'

Hugh Lombard grieves for a minute in silence as Cho tosses between adjourning the interview to a later time and pressing on, but the decision is made when Jane steps forward and places his arms on the table and looks the distraught father in the eye. 'There's really only one question left here,' said Jane. 'Why did Hannah suspect that her mother was having an affair?'

'I don't know,' said Hugh sitting back in his chair.

'Perhaps not,' said Jane in a careless manner. 'Though I have my suspicions. Your youngest son and Hannah have a close relationship – closer than any other bond in your family. My guess is that when Hannah went away to boarding school, they became pen pals. And it was in those letters – those same letters that you got your son to doctor – that Henk told his older sister that their mother was having an affair. What I haven't quite figured out is why he would do such a thing. Do you know?'

'I don't know why he would say that,' said Hugh, his eyes dropping to the table.

'Yes you do,' pushed Jane as he dropped down to meet Hugh's gaze. 'Henk wanted Hannah to come home didn't he?'

The man sighed. 'I don't know. Henk had always missed Hannah when she went away to boarding school. Maybe he just wanted her to come back.'

Lisbon slipped from the observation room then. She didn't need to hear or see anymore. She went through the motions of organising Children's Services for Horatio and Henk and couldn't bring herself to care as Henk screamed and threw a tantrum as he protested being taken away from van Pelt. She spared a thought for the other son though.

Hugh Lombard was taken down for arraignment and as night fell, she sat at her desk, the lines on the paperwork before her blurring as she propped up her head in her hands.

When there was a tentative knock on her door, it took all of her strength just to raise her head slightly and turn it to the left. There in the doorway stood her team. Van Pelt opened her mouth to say something, but she dismisses them. 'Go home.'

Defeat was present in every pore of her body when Jane stepped into the empty doorway minutes later and raised his hand to knock. She beat him to it.

'Don't.'

******************

_Next Chapter:_ 'I don't want to talk.'


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my own creations.

**Author's Note: **After feedback from my reviewers, I have added to the ending in order give the fic a more 'finished' look.

******************

Her feet felt so heavy as she walked up the stairs to her apartment. Left foot up. Come on right foot, make your move. Okay, left foot, it's you again.

She was so emotionally drained that she considered leaning against the wall when she reached her floor, but she pushed ahead safe in the knowledge that her apartment was so very very close.

She fumbled with her keys, but thankfully the key slid into the lock without much of a hassle and she could step into her darkened apartment.

Her hand reached for the light switch by default and then stopped. Perhaps the darkness would be better at this moment in time.

Dropping her bag and keys, her eyes adjusted to the gloom and she took in the familiar pieces of furniture and knick knacks around. It was hard to believe that her place could look the same when so much had happened these past few days.

With a whole realm of possibilities facing her, she sagged to her couch as she just sat there. She was done for. Every emotion that she could ever produce had officially been produced and set through the wringer, and now she felt empty.

She doesn't know how long she sat there, but when the knock sounded at the door she startled. She could have been asleep, thinking or just dead to the world. She wasn't quite sure. Did she hear something?

Knock knock.

Her shoulders protested as she pushed on her knees and managed to get herself upright. Her feet were walking her body to her door without her orders. Her hand automatically reached for the doorknob, but then she stopped.

Resting her head against the cool wood, her hand gripped the knob, but did not turn. When the knock sounded once again, the sound reverberated painfully in her head, but she didn't move. Pain was good. Pain was feeling.

'Go away Jane,' she whispered. 'I don't want to talk.'

'Well I do,' was the response. 'Open up Lisbon.'

_Now you want to talk do you?_ Feeling was now back with a vengeance. She could feel the anger roaring through her veins. There was nothing stopping her as she threw the door open and looked into the face of Patrick Jane.

'Oh now you want to talk do you?'

'Um hi Lisbon,' said Jane nervously. 'I came to check that you were okay.'

She ignored him as she vented. He was finally here after two days of cat and mouse. She was not going to let this opportunity pass her by.

'You're here now, but where were you last night? Hmm?' she pushed. 'And the night before? And let's not forget the night before that shall we? Or was that nothing?' She had the satisfaction of seeing him flinch. 'Can I come in?'

She thought about it for a moment. As much as having him in her apartment played havoc on her emotions and mental capacity, it really wasn't fair on her neighbours that they should have their sleep interrupted by World War III.

She stepped out of the doorway, her anger not diminished one iota as she jerked her arm and gestured him in.

She resisted the urge to slam the door shut, instead pushing it to the doorframe and throwing the lock. When she turned, she found Jane standing in the middle of the room. He was standing there holding his jacket in his hands as he looked at her.

She gets a sense of déjà vu as she faces him from across the room. Three nights ago, they had both been in the exact same position and she knew that the outcome tonight was going to be very different. It had to be.

'I don't care what your reasons for being here are,' she gritted through her teeth. 'But you aren't stepping outside that door until you talk.'

'Talk?' responded Jane warily.

'Yes talk,' she confirmed. 'And I do not want to hear one word about Hannah Lombard or that catastrophe. You are going to _talk_.'

'Teresa...' he begged but she was having none of it.

'Don't you dare Teresa me,' she threatened as she raised her finger. 'I've been there for you from the start. How often have I covered your butt? How often have I stood right by you – supported you all the way? How often have I defended you? Helped you? Let you go off and do your merry tricks.' She took the slightest breath before she drilled her point home. 'What you did then was stupid.'

Jane looked chagrined. His shields were down. She couldn't talk to the Jane that put up the confident and arrogant act. She needed the Jane that was hurting inside. The Patrick Jane that was willing to kill in his desire for revenge.

'My God Patrick,' she whispered in pain, her use of his first name never registering. 'Do you know what would have happened if you'd shot him? Do you? I couldn't have done anything to save you – no matter how much I wanted to.'

'He would have deserved it,' said Jane in a hard tone.

'For what?' she cried throwing her hands up into the air. 'The guy apologised to you. He explained himself.'

'I will never forgive him.'

'I'm sorry that you had to find out that your friend assisted Red John in killing your wife and daughter, but you can't blame the guy for giving up your security codes,' she yelled.

'If you hadn't been in the way...' shouted Jane in retaliation.

'What would you have done Jane?' she said, her tone now deadly serious. 'What would you have done if I hadn't been there?'

He offered no answer.

'You wouldn't have done it,' she said softly in a determined tone. 'You wouldn't have killed him. You're many things, but you're not a cold-blooded killer.'

'How can you know that?' asked Jane harshly, his eyes boring into hers. The intensity was great, but she pushed on. 'I know you,' she said simply – helplessly.

She took this moment to step toward him. She debated touching him, but her hand had a mind of its own as it reached out and lay on the tightly wound muscles of one tightly crossed arm. 'The cold facts are that if your friend hadn't revealed the codes under duress, Red John would have gone elsewhere. Nothing your friend did or could have done would have stopped Red John from killing your wife and daughter.'

She took a deep breath. 'The world has moved on. And you need to move with it.'

The response was short and sharp. 'No I don't.' But the desperation in his eyes and the hand that came across to cover hers and grip it tightly said otherwise.

She continued gently. 'You have been already. Can't you see it?' she begged. 'When you saved me, you made a choice. Jane – you chose life. You want to live – you want to live so badly.'

'I can't let go of it.' His voice was raw. His grip on her hand tightened, but she ignored the pain.

She raised her other hand slowly to his face as she cupped his cheek. 'I'm not asking you to. I'm just asking you to... to...'

'To what?' he begged.

'You mean too much to me,' she said tentatively. 'To all of us,' she added hastily. 'All I'm asking is for you to let us help you. We've got some good information – and we now have more. We can do this right Patrick. We can win.'

'I'm afraid,' he whispered. Her heart clenched as she took in his broken features. She wanted her Jane back.

'We all are,' she said. 'I'm afraid too.'

The words hung between them. They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, one hand still tightly enclosed within his and the other unconsciously stroking his cheek as their minds considered the enormity of the situation before them.

He spoke first. 'Forgive me,' he whispered.

Never had two words meant so much. They had been the last words of Robert Calabrese before he ran. They had been the last words of Hannah Lombard before she died. And now as she hugged Jane with a ferocity that was equally fiercely returned, the words seemed fitting. In the face of so much death and despair, the future looked just a little brighter.

She didn't realise that she was crying until Jane pulled her back from him and looked down at her. 'What are you crying for woman?' said Jane through his own tears.

'You're hurting.' Having said all that she had, reality was now creeping back and she began to feel uncomfortable being in such close quarters with Jane and a little ashamed at what she had said.

'You always could see straight through me couldn't you?' mused Jane quietly and she could see him starting to come back to life.

'Not much to see though,' she scoffed. His full bellied laugh in response took her by surprise and a smile spread across her face of its own volition as she moved to step out from his embrace.

He wasn't willing to let her go though. His hands gripped her shoulders as he became serious once again and looked her in the eyes. 'Life is too precious. Don't you ever change.'

She wasn't quite sure about how to respond to that.

The wee hours of the morning found them in her bed holding each other close. They both knew that Jane would not be there when she awoke that morning, and both knew that neither would ever mention this again, but for tonight, the nearness of the other was enough.

******************

In southern Nevada in the Mojave desert, Robert Calabrese stood alone as he raised his mobile phone to his ear and looked up into the night sky, waiting for the call to go through.

He was prompt.

'Everything has been done as you wish Master,' Robert said quickly, muscles tensing as he waited for a response.

There was heavy breathing on the other end, but no response as Calabrese shifted nervously on his feet and looked warily at the various shrubs and bushes around him.

The call was hung up.

******************

_Finito_

**Author's Note: **I'm considering doing a follow up story that sees Jane and Lisbon facing 'I love you' for the first time as we get closer and closer to finding Red John. Look out for 'Feeling' - coming to the fanfiction archive near you!


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